Apparatus for wine champagnization in a continuous stream

ABSTRACT

The champagne wine stock is subjected to secondary fermentation in a continuous stream at a stable mean linear velocity of the stream of the wine stock being fermented in an apparatus comprising a single cylindrical vessel with concentric cylindrical partitions mounted on the vessel ends so that the secondary fermentation process involves reversing the direction of the stream of the material being fermented, and gradual lowering of the temperature of said material is effected by cooling said material in the terminal stream portion only, followed by the recuperative cooling of the stream bulk.

' United States Patent Merzhanian et al. Nov. 4, 1975 APPARATUS FOR WINE[51] Int. Cl. C12g 1/00 CHAMPAGNIZATION IN A CONTINUOUS [58] Field ofSearch 99/276, 275, 277, 277.1, STREAM 99/277.2, 278; 198/127; 426/15[76] Inventors: Artemy Arutjunovich Merzhanian, [56] Rferences Citedulitsa Novokuznechnaya, 10, kv. 4,

Krasnodar; Sergei Alexeevich UNITED STATES PATENTS Brusilovsky, 5,196,373 10/1877 Montstorrn 99/277.2 N i hik k l 13 k 210,863 12/1878Lansburgh 99/277 X 2,010,974 8/1935 Andrieu 99/276 X gigs m gf g g2,536,994 1 1951 Cremaschi 99/276 x P H 1 k k 52 3,374,726 3/1968Takayangi... 99/275 g g xl gg g iz 3,628,445 12/1971 Weber 99/277.1Kishkovs ky ulitsa Begovaya 22 Pn-ma E j ry xammer-Robert L. Bleutge gIssal Assistant Examiner-Arthur 0. Henderson 1n, Dmistrovsky proezd. 4,kv. l, [57] ABSTRACT Moscow; Mikhail Alexeevich d Gagarin Broisojuznayaulitsa 33 The champagne wme stock 1s sub ected to secon ary kv 144Moscow an of U S R fermentation 1n a continuous stream at a stable meanV linear velocity of the, stream of the wine stock being [22] Filed:June 20, 1974 fermented in an apparatus comprising a single cylindricalvessel with concentric cylindrical partitions [21] Appl' 481474 mountedon the vessel ends so that the secondary fer- Related US. ApplicationData mentation process involves reversing the direction of [62] Divisionof Ser. No. 320,927, Jan. 4, 1973. the Stream of h material beingfermented, and g 1 ual lowering of the temperature of said material isef- [30 F i Applicatinn p i i Data fected by cooling said material inthe terminal stream Jan. 4, 1972 U.S.S.R 1737547 portion only, followedby the recuperative cooling of the stream bulk.

1 Claim, 2 Drawing Figures U.S. Patent Nov. 4, 1975 3,916,775

APPARATUS FOR WINE CHAMPAGNIZATION IN A CONTINUOUS STREAM This is adivisional of application Ser. No. 320,927, filed Jan. 4, 1973.

The invention relates to food technology involving fermentationprocesses and, more particularly, it relates to processes and apparatusfor wine champagnization in a continuous stream.

A method is known for wine champagnization in a continuous stream, whichcomprises subjecting the fermentable stock, on first fermentationcompletion, to the secondary fermentation in a stream wherein thetemperature is gradually raised and the pressure is maintained constant.

Said known method is embodied by using an apparatus comprising aplurality of hermetic cylindrical vessels which are series connected andfurnished with a jacket for fermentation temperature control, saidvessels being interconnected by pipelines fitted with relevantcontrolling and shut-off means.

Practical experience gained in the course of employing said prior artapparatus for carrying into effect said known method of winechampagnization showed the preferred amount of cylindrical hermeticvessels per apparatus to be from six to seven.

However, the known method of wine champagnization fails to provide forthe constancy of mean linear velocity of the fermentable stock streamthat flows through a plurality of vessels and connecting pipelines,whereby the quality of the target product is affected adversely.

It will also be noted that the known equipment has excessive floor spacerequirements and presents difficulties in servicing.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of winechampagnization in a continuous stream and an apparatus foraccomplishing same, which make it possible to improve the end productquality characteristics and to increase the end product output peroutput floor space.

This object is accomplished by shaping the fermentable stock, on primaryfermentation completion into a stream and subjecting the resultingfermentable stock stream to a secondary fermentation at a graduallydecreasing temperature and under a constant pressure, wherein, accordingto the invention, the process is conducted in a single vessel and thedirection of fermentable stock stream flow is reversed at least once,gradual temperature lowering being attained by cooling the fermentablestock in the terminal stream portion only, followed by the recuperativecooling of the'entire stream.

To the attainment of said object, the present invention is embodied inan apparatus comprising a hermetic cylindrical vessel furnished with ajacket which forms, in combination with the vessel surface, a cavity forrefrigerant supply thereinto, wherein, according to the invention, inthe vessel there is disposed at least one cylindrical partition mountedon one end of the vessel bottom in concentric relationship to the vesselside wall so as to obtain between the other end of said partition andthe other end of the vessel bottom an annular gap for fermentable stockflow from the chamber formed by said cylindrical partition into theannular chamber formed by said partition and the vessel side wall, thestability of the mean linear velocity of the fermentable stock streambeing attained by making the free area of the gap in the cylindricalpartition and the free area of the annular chamber formed by saidpartition and the vessel side wall equal to one another and to theannular gap height multiplied by the length of the cylindrical partitioncircumference.

The present invention provide the possibility of improving the endproduct quality viz., of enchancing specific champagne properties(sparkling and effervescence) and organoleptic characteristics (flavour,color, taste, etc.) of the end product.

The apparatus, according to the present invention, is advantageous inthat it increases the end product output per unit floor space andsimultaneously provides for the improved quality of the end product.

The apparatus is further advantageous in that it dispenses withconnecting pipelines and diverse controlling and shut-off means;servicing the apparatus involves no difficulties.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following detailed description of the present apparatus foraccomplishing same, and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of the continuous stream apparatus for winechampagnization, according to the invention; and

FIG. 2 is the apparatus of FIG. 1 in the partial cutaway plan view.

Wine champagnization, according to the present invention, is effected bysubjecting a fermentable stock consisting of pre-processed champagnewine stock (cuvee), a solution of crystalline sucrose in the wind stock(tirage liqueur) and yeast, to the secondary fermentation under constantpressure in a continuous stream, the stream direction being periodicallyreversed while maintaining the mean linear velocity of the streamconstant.

We have found that carrying out the process of secondary fermentation ata constant mean linear velocity of the material being champagnizedprovides for the uniform distribution of yeast cells throughout the bulkof said material, thereby enchancing both specific and generalorganoleptic characteristics if the end product.

It will be noted that the secondary fermentation is conducted whilegradually lowering the temperature, said temperature lowering beingattained, according to the present invention, by cooling said materialin the terminal stream portion only, followed by the recuperativecooling of the entire stream.

The recuperative mode of stream cooling makes for a very smoothvariation of the temperature of the material being champagnized, so thatthe fermentative functions of yeast cells will not be inhibited.

The wine champagnization in a continuous stream is conducted in anapparatus comprising a hermetic cylindrical vessel 1 furnished with ajacket 2, which forms, in combination with the side wall of the vessel,a cavity for refrigerant flow, and end members 3 (flat or spherical).Disposed inside the vessel 1 in concentric arrangement are cylindricalpartitions 4 whose number and diameter are governed by the contemplatedthroughput capacity of the apparatus for wine champagnization. Thenumber of partitions may be as small as one, but the optimum number ofpartitions equals six to seven.

The cylindrical partitions 4 are disposed in the vessel 1 so that someof said partitions are rigidly mounted along the entire periphery of onebutt end thereof to one end member 3 of the vessel 1 and there obtainsan annular gap between the other butt end of each said partition and theopposite end member 3 of the vessel 1. Other partitions 4 are affixed ina similar manner to said opposite end member 3 and form similar annulargaps with the former end member 3.

Where use is made of one cylindrical partition only, the free area ofthe annular gap and that of the annular chamber formed by said partitionand the vessel side wall are equal to each other, the free area beingthe product of the annular gap height by the cylindrical partitioncircumference length.

The equality of said flow area is observed also in case the vesselhouses a plurality of partitions, said equality being instrumental inproviding for the secondary fermentation under the conditions of thestability of the mean linear velocity of the champagne stock stream.

We have found that the aforesaid arrangement of the cylindricalpartitions in the vessel makes for dispersing uniformly, in the bulk ofthe champagne stock being fermented, the yeast cells that settle on thewalls of said partitions, whereby the quality characteristics of the endproduct are improved and the secondary fermentation process isintensified.

In the central part of the vessel end member 3, provision is made for achampagne stock and yeast inlet opening 5, said vessel end member 3being also furnished with openings 6 for discharging the sediment fromand cleaning of the vessel, as well as for sampling the material beingfermented.

The opposite vessel end member 3 is furnished with end product outletopenings 7. To avoid unsteady mean linear velocities of the materialbeing fermented in the apparatus the number of outlet openings 7 mayvary, depending on the apparatus throughput capacity, from four to six.In said opposite end member 3, provision is also made for an aperture 8that accommodates a pressure gauge and for sampling holes 9, whichlikewise serve for gas cushion venting during the start-up period.

The jacket 2 of the apparatus may be disposed both on the vessel endmember 3 and on the cylindrical side wall of the vessel.

However, the jacket 2 should preferably be mounted on the cylindricalside wall of the vessel 1 in order to cool in a more uniform manner theterminal portion of the fermenting material stream.

Provision in made in the jacket 2 for refrigerant inlet ports 10 andrefrigerant exit ports 11.

The apparatus for wine champagnization, according to the presentinvention, functions as follows.

The mixture to be fermented consisting of the champagne stock (cuvee), asolution of crystalline sucrose in the champagne stock (tirage liqueur),and yeast, is fed into the vessel via the inlet opening 5. Theproportions of the aforementioned components are selected so as toobtain in the present apparatus the product of the Brut Champagne type(sugar content, 0.2-0.3 percent maximum).

Said mixture undergoes secondary fermentation (champagnization) whileflowing continuously along a zigzag path as indicated by the arrows inFIG. 1 through the central cylindrical chamber and the annular chambers.During fermentation, the material being processed becomes saturated withthe carbon dioxide evolved as a result of fermentation and acquiresspecific properties of champagne.

The champagnization is effected in the present apparatus under an excesscarbon dioxide gas pressure which should be greater than the pressure inequilibrium with the carbon dioxide concentration in the end productleaving the apparatus through the outlet opening 7, said excess pressurebeing pertinent foravoiding the formation of gas cushions in the vessel(dechampagnization uct is governed, in its turn, by the amount offermented sugar and by the end product temperature.

The secondary fermentation process is conducted under constant pressureand at a gradually decreasing temperature. The temperature of thefermentable mixture is stabilized in the 5 and 15C range by feeding therefrigerant into the jacket 2, the desired temperatures being thereaftermaintained by the recuperative cooling technique. v

The end product leaving the apparatus via the outlet opening 7 is nextprocessed in accordance with the continuous method of champagnemanufacture.

We claim:

1. An apparatus for continuous-stream wine champagnization, comprising ahermetically sealed cylindrical vessel; a jacket, which forms, incombination with the surface of said vessel, a cavity for refrigeratingsupply thereinto; a cylindrical partition mounted concentrically withone butt end thereof on a vessel bottom so as to obtain between theother butt end of said partition and the other bottom of said vessel anannular gap for the flow of the material being fermented from thechamber formed by said partition into an annular chamber formed by saidpartition and the vessel side wall wherein, in order to provide for thestability of the mean linear velocity of the stream of the materialbeing fermented, the free area of the gap in the cylindrical partitionand the free area of the annular chamber formed by said partition andthe vessel side wall being equal to one another and to the annular gapheight multiplied by the length of the cylindrical partitioncircumference.

1. An apparatus for continuous-stream wine champagnization, comprising ahermetically sealed cylindrical vessel; a jacket, which forms, incombination with the surface of said vessel, a cavity for refrigeratingsupply thereinto; a cylindrical partition mounted concentrically withone butt end thereof on a vessel bottom so as to obtain between theother butt end of said partition and the other bottom of said vessel anannular gap for the flow of the material being fermented from thechamber formed by said partition into an annular chamber formed by saidpartition and the vessel side wall wherein, in order to provide for thestability of the mean linear velocity of the stream of the materialbeing fermented, the free area of the gap in the cylindrical partitionand the free area of the annular chamber formed by said partition andthe vessel side wall being equal to one another and to the annular gapheight multiplied by the length of the cylindrical partitioncircumference.